LINGUIST List 8.831

Wed Jun 4 1997

Review: Omar - Linking Openings to Closings...

Editor for this issue: Andrew Carnie <carnielinguistlist.org>

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Omar, Alwiya S. (1993)
LINKING OPENINGS TO CLOSINGS IN KISWAHILI CONVERSATIONS
Indiana University Linguistics Club Publications, Bloomington Indiana
Paper, 52 pages $6.00
Reviewed by Steve Nicolle <s.nicollemdx.ac.uk>
In this short book, Alwiya Omar analyses conversational openings
(COs) and conversational closings (CCs) in Kiswahili as spoken in
Zanzibar. She bases her study on a wide range of naturalistic data,
participant observation, and previous analyses in other languages
(English and Wolof). This book should appeal to students of
Kiswahili, and linguists interested in Conversation Analysis,
Sociolinguistics and Pragmatics.
SYNOPSIS
After a brief introduction to general cross-linguistic features of
COs and CCs, the author discusses two previous analyses of COs:
Irvine's (1974) study of Wolof COs, in which participants in an
exchange adopt differing roles depending on perceived relative
status, and Schegloff's (1968) analysis of turn-taking in English
COs. She then discusses the conditions under which different types of
CO occur in Zanzibari Kiswahili, including a discussion of the role
of phatic inquiries and phatic responses.
There then follows a detailed account of the effect of age as a
sociolinguistic parameter in Kiswahili COs. Where there is a socially
significant age difference, the younger participant initiates the CO
and the older participant responds and adopts the role of
Questioner, whereas same age participants compete for the
Questioner role. Different age COs in Kiswahili resemble Wolof in so
far as dissimilar roles are involved, and English in that they follow
an alternating sequence of exchanges, however same age COs violate
both of these conditions because of competition for the role of
Questioner, which may result in overlaps and repetition.
Omar then discusses CCs in Kiswahili, classifying linguistic features
according to whether they occur in pre-closing stages and/or
terminating stages of CCs. Unlike English, in which features are
rigidly ordered (Schegloff & Sacks 1973), the order of features in
Kiswahili CCs is not rigid, and the equivalent of 'goodbye' is
optional. CCs are not as elaborate or constrained as COs in
Kiswahili, but Omar identifies a number of features common to both,
including the use of phatic inquiries and responses.
EVALUATION
Although the theoretical contribution of this book is modest,
involving a straightforward adaptation of previous analyses to
Kiswahili, Omar's conclusions are well supported through some 40
examples (ranging from transcriptions of conversations between
close friends to a 'wrong number' telephone call) together with many
pertinant observations arising out of the author's status as a
participant-observer. In addition to the quality of the data
presented, the book is highly accessible, written in a clear and
engaging style, and with the main findings conveniently summarised in
tabular form.
It is also exceedingly brief (a mixed blessing) and touches on a
number of issues which Omar unfortunately does not have space to
develop here. There are some interesting observations concerning
sociolinguistic change in COs between female Zanzibari participants,
differences between Zanzibari and mainland Tanzanian Kiswahili, and
the influence of religion (Islam) on COs in particular. Omar
concludes by raising questions about COs and CCs in institutional
settings, and has elsewhere (e.g. Omar 1992, 1993) discussed
differences between COs and CCs produced by native and non-native
speakers. The effects of gender, geographical location and religion
on COs and CCs would also merit further consideration.
In sum, Omar has written a modest but interesting book, based on an
insightful analysis of high quality and methodically presented data.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Irvine, J. (1974) 'Strategies of status manipulation in the Wolof
greetings' In R. Bauman & J. Sherzer (Eds.) Explorations in the
Ethnography of Speaking (pp. 167-191). Cambridge: CUP
Omar, A. S. (1992) 'Conversational openings in Kiswahili: the
pragmatic performance of native and non-native speakers' In L. Bouton
& Y. Kachru (Eds.) Pragmatics and Language Learning: Monograph Series
Volume 3 (pp. 20-32). Urbana-Champaign: University of Illinois
Omar, A. S. (1993) 'Closing the conversation in Kiswahili: a
description of the performance of native and non-native speakers' In
L. Bouton & Y. Kachru (Eds.) Pragmatics and Language Learning:
Monograph Series Volume 4 (pp.104-125). Urbana-Champaign: University
of Illinois
Schegloff, E. (1968) 'Sequencing in conversational openings' American
Anthropologist 70: 1075-1095
Schegloff, E. & H. Sacks (1973) 'Opening up closings' Semiotica,
VIIII: 289-327
Reviewed by:
Steve Nicolle, Research fellow in Communication Studies,
Middlesex University, England
(Currently employed on a project investigating the cognitive
processes and social contexts involved in verbal communication, with
particular interests in Relevance Theory, phatic communication and
Kiswahili.)